2009 Angler of the Year Feedback

Keep in mind, that you can't please everyone.  

The final product will have to be the result of an executive decision.

Though I don't plan to spend as much time on the quest next year, I do look forward to entering, regardless of the new target lineup.  

Allen, you should be able to find Walleye within 4 hrs of Seattle.  I believe you can get to the Columbia River near Camas in 3 hrs.

Anyway, from Portland a 2 hr drive could yield
Chinook, Coho
Steelhead
Trout (but not lake trout)
LMB and SMB
Rockfish
Lingcod
Panfish
Sturgeon
Walleye
Halibut (long shot near shore on Oregon coast)

Within 4 hours you could find lake trout and you could drive up to Puget Sound for Chums and Pinks.

What can't you find from Portland within 2 hours, other than Chums and Pinks.  Hmmm, isn't there a chum run on the Kilchis River?  Ohhh ... CNR only.

However, Portland to Olympia is less than 2 hours, so I think you could find chum fishing within 2 hours of Portland (depending on which side of Portland you live on).

-Allen

 I like the wild card idea. We get some really nice channel cats on the John Day river each year,,  Fish smallies and bullheads at nite on the Umpqua all with kayaks.

I'm definitely want to try for Cali Hali in '09. heard rumors 'bout 'em near Coos Bay... RoyG?

Wow, this topic took off. I guess we can tell which of us are the desk jockies.

First, to sum up my AOTY experience from this year, it's felt pretty difficult to effectively compete, being 4 hours from salt water. And, as I recall, one of the original points of AOTY was to encourage anglers to try a broader range of fisheries, not just get good at a few. (Actually, that was Brian, thinking he had an advantage in PDX, over SEA anglers.)

My preference would be to keep halibut (I've caught them, before, just not this year ) and walleye (I''m working on figuring out this fishery) and maybe even add some more, i.e. greenling, carp, whatever, as long as it doesn't become marine-centric. I could see adding kokanee to the trout catagory, but I'm not sure about lumping lakers (char) to steelhead. I'd be really bummed if lmb and smb were consolidated. I'd be okay with adding pikeminnow, as I caught a couple nice ones, today, searching for wallies.

I like the proposed tweaking of the points.

Thanks Bill, for the perspective from our inland brothers that are more freshwater bound.  I can see where keeping LMB and SMB separate would be good.  And walleye too. 

Not sure how I feel about carp and pikeminnow and their trashfish status ... that sounds snobby, huh?

-Allen

How about having a rotating category #10 each year? This could be for a lesser fished fish and each year it changes.

Wow, this topic took off. I guess we can tell which of us are the desk jockies.

not me, have lots of days off this month (use or lose annual leave). split the time today between housework & goofing off on the computer.

I think more people will sign up and participate if the list is simplified, making AOTY more exciting with upgrades as the year progresses.

1. Salmon
2. Trout
3. Bass
4. Sturgeon
5. Rockfish (rockcod, cabezon, etc.)
6. Lingcod (greenling)
7. Panfish (including saltwater panfish like surf/pile perch)
8. Walleye
9. Flounder (including Halibut)
10. To be announced

Using Salmon as an example: A 40+ pound chinook is a rare catch and should be rewarded accordingly over someone who catches a 3 pound pink.  Now the person who caught the pink lives in Eastern Washington, he now is motivated to upgrade his 12 inch  SMB to a 20+ inch LMB

Viva la Google sidebar @ work- desk-jockey's unite!  

Has anyone here ever gone after musky from their yak?  I have been interested in trying it this year.  Would it be possible to maybe couple this with sturgeon?  Their sizes are similar and they are equally difficult to catch from what I understand.  This could balance out any PDX sturgeon "advantage".

Amos, I've never even fished for the tiger muskies in WA.  Where you going to hit them up?  Tapps?  Mayfield?

This AOTY is complex, huh?  Get your feedback in soon, then the admins will huddle and just make it so!!!  I hear a consistent theme to limit the categories to 10.  I hear a consistent theme to balance out fresh and salt.  I hear Z and B duking it out over panfish.  I wanna let AK, BC and ID in.  Shoot I wanna participate from CA, can I?  Please, please, please?

I also got some ideas for bonus points, but I don't want to complicate this further.

What to do?  What to do?

-Allen

I've been thinking about hitting up Lake Tapps in the early spring, possibly sooner.  At least there won't be as much competition from powerboats since the lake is pretty low this year.

I had never even heard of them before I moved here and met some people at a WashingtonLakes.com picnic.  The looks I got when I suggested going after them from a kayak makes me want to try it even more. 

Here is a list of Washington lakes holding Tiger Muskies:
http://nwtigerpac.com/lakes.html

The Canadian and Great Lakes kayak fishing guys have done some Muskie fishing.  You might want to check out there sites.  I think Kayak Angler magazine also had a story on muskie kayak fishing.  If I find the time, I'll post some links.

Brian

When and where do we sign up for AOTY 2009?

I don't think Greenling should be in the Lingcod cat. because of size difference. there are large & small rockfish species. perhaps greenling sould be in the small rockfish cat. (http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/sp/fish_list.asp)

Flatfish also fall into larger/smaller categories, with Pacific Halibut, California Halibut, & Arrowtooth Flounder (in that order) being the larger species

I was sorta kidding about the Northern Pikeminnow (http://www.pikeminnow.org/) but it would be interesting to fish them for fun & profit.